Endless adjustable screen.



Patented Mar. l2, |90l. W. COLLIER.

ENDLESS ADJUSTABLE SCREEN.

(Application filed Apr. 5, 1900.)

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Patented Mar. I2, I.901|. W. COLLIER.

ENDLESS ADJUSTABLE SCREEN.

(Application filed Apr. 5, 1900.;

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(No Model.)

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No. 669,508. Patented Mar. l2, |9011.- W. COLLIER.

ENDLE-SS ADJUSTABLE SCREEN.

(Application filed Apr. 5, IQOOJ 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(nu Model.)

UNTTnn STnTns PATENT Ormes..

WILLIAM COLLIER, -OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF, ONE-HALF TOSAMUEL E. MILLS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

ENDLESS ADJUSTABLE SCREEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,508, dated March12, 1901.

Application iiled April 5, 1900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM COLLIER, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Paul, in the county Ramsey and State of Minnesota, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Endless AdjustableScreens; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others Ioskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improvement in adjustableor variable mesh screens, and relates particularly to traveling endlessscreens or sieves in contradistinction to vibrating or reciprocatingscreens.

To the above ends the invention consists of the novel devices andcombinations of devices hereinafter described,and defined in the zoclaims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanyingv drawings, wherein likecharacters indicate like parts Vthroughout the several views.

Figure l is a plan View, with some parts broken away, showing a screenor sieve constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the said screen. Fig. 3 is a plan View of a portion of thesame. 3o Fig. 4 is a detail approximately on the line 004 a# of Fig. 2,some parts being removed. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line m5:t5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, but with someparts removed, showing means for adjusting the frame; and Fig.

7` is a longitudinal vertical section, on an enlarged scale, through aportion of the screen.

In this device I employ two pairs of endless chains, preferably of thetype employed as 4o bicycle-chains. The pair of chains a run over loosesprockets a on atransverse shaft a2 aud over sprockets 61.3, that aresecured on a shaft a4, as shown, by means of set-screws a5. The shaftsCL2 and c4 are suitably mounted or supported by brackets b of aframeworkb. The longer pair ofsprocket-chainsf run over loose sprockets f on ashaft a2 just outward of the sprockets ct', and they also run oversprockets f2, carried by theshaft a4 and with t-he 5o sprockets a3. Bothchains a andf run over supporting flanges or skids b2 of the frame b', p

Serial No. 11,699. {No model.)

and the said frame b is adapted to be adjusted on the shaft a4 as apivot by means of eccentrics g on a transverse shaft g', mounted insuitable bearings g2, the said eccentrics engaging the flanged sides ofthe frame b. The eccentric-shaft g' is adapted to be moved and set indifferent positions by a latchdever h and coperating segment h', saidsegment being secured to a suitable support, as indicated by the dottedlines at e, as shown in Fig. 6. By means of the shaft g and eccentrics gthe free end of the screen is adapted to be adjusted, so that theseparating-surface of the screen will move either upward or downward asit is carried by the chains, said chains being driven as indicated bythe arrows marked on Fig. 2. The shaft a4 is mounted in suitablebearings a6 and it is shown as provided with a pulley di, by means ofwhich it may be driven. The drivingsprockets f2 are adjustable Withrespect to the driving-sprockets a3, and for this purpose said sprocketsf2 are provided with segmental slots f3, while said sprockets a3 areprovided with studs as, the reduced and screwthreaded ends of which workthrough said slots f3 and are provided with nuts a9.

The endless separating-surface of the screen is made up of an overlappedseries of transversely-extended slats k and p, the former of which arethe longer, overlie the latter, and are provided with inturned end angeslo, which serve as side links to the outer chainsf. The shorter andinside slatsp are likewise provided with end flanges p', that serve asside links to the inner chains d. Thus the slats k and p are movedcontinuously in whatever relation they may be set to each other, and asthey pass over the frame b/ they are held closely together, as shown inFig. 2. The slats 7c andp are preferably formed from thin sheets ofmetal and they are provided with main perforations 71:2 and p2,respectively, that are approximately pear-shaped-that is, elongated inthe direction of the movement of the slatsand are small at one end andlarge at the other. The perforations k2 and p2 are extended small endsin the opposite directions, and they are set zigzag or out of line witheach other, as best shown in Figs. l and 3. When the perforations k2 andp2 IOO are fully open,they stand with their large ends respectivelyapproximately in line with the adjacent edges of the slats p and 7c. Toadjust the meshes of the screen, by partially closing the perforationsk2 and p2 the slats p and 7.o are overlapped more than as shown in Fig.l, or, for instance, as shown in Fig. 3, wherein the slats 7i; abouthalt close the perforations p2, while the slats p likewise about halfclose the perforations 7a2. This adjustment of the slatsp and lo can bereadily accomplished by loosening the nuts a9, so as to rotate thedriving-sprockets f2 with respect to the driving-sprockets aand thenretightening said nuts to lock the said dri ving-sprockets together insuch adjustments. In this way the perforations k2 and p2 maybe entirelyopened or entirely closed or partially closed to any desired extent.

In order to readily pass small seeds and other fine foreign materials,the slats lo and p are provided with smaller perforations s, which maybe located wherever desired and as close together as desired.

The separating-screen above described is adapted for general use invarious classes of separating-machines and is especially adapted for usein connection with threshing-separators to eect the separation of thewheat or oats from other seeds and foreign material. Also this screen isadapted for use in various different ways; but usually the grain orstock to be separated would be delivered onto the free or right-hand endofthe screen, as shown in Fig. 2, and the screen would usually be set atan incline.

In threshing wheat the perforations 7a2 and p2 would be so adj usted asto pass the wheat, While if threshing oats said perfor-ations would ofcourse be adjusted so as to pass the oats. The oats or Wheat passedthrough the perforations would be caught by a suitable device, (notshowin) while such materials as do not pass through the meshes of thescreen will be discharged at the left-hand end thereof, and in case of athreshing-machine the straw or chaff will be delivered to the stackerand large or unhulled grain would be returned to the cylinder by devicessuch as used in all threshing-machines and which form no part of thisinvention.

Whether used in a threshing-machine or in other forms of separators, ablast of air would be usually blown upward through theseparating-surface of the screen, and to permit the free passage of theair through the under or returning portions of the separating-surfacethe chains are made of uneven lengthsthat is, one is given more slackthan the other-so that the returning slats 7c and@ Will be separated ordropped in different vertical positions, thereby leaving wide-openspaces between them, both for the passage of the air upward and for thepassage of the separated grain downward.

With an adjustable-meshed screen of the above character it is of courseobvious that all grains or seeds, from the smallest to the coarsest, maybe separated when the screen is properly adjusted. For flax, forinstance, the large perfor-ations 7a2 and p2 would be so nearly closedthat only narrow and transversely-elongated slots or openings would beleft for meshes in the screen. On the other hand, for beans or peas theperforations k2 and p2 would usually be completely opened. I-Ience itwill of course be understood that a single screen of the above characterwill make a separator universally serviceable for the separation ofgrains and seeds and obviates the necessity for a large number ofscreens of different mesh. It will also be understood that thisinvention is capable of a large range of modification as lo its detailsof construction and arrangement of its parts.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

l. A separating device comprising in combination, two pairs of endlesscarriers, such as chains, guiding and driving wheels for such chains,two series of overlapped slats, secured one series to each pair ofendless chains, said slats having perforations or meshes, adapted to beopened or closed by the adjustment of one pair of chains with respect tothe other, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a suitable frame and bearings ot the pairs ofdriving-sprockets a5 and f2, adjustably secured together, the idlesprockets d' and f', the endless chains a andf running` over saidsprockets d d3 and ff2 respectively, and the overlapped slats 7a and p,secured at their ends to the links of the chains f and ct respectively,said slats having the perforations 102 and p2 respectively, said partsoperating substantially as described.

3. In a separating device the combination with suitable sprocket-wheels,of two pairs of endless chains or flexible carriers, one pair of chainshaving materially more slack than the other for the purpose set forth,means for adjusting said chains or carriers, and a separating-surfacemade up of two series of perforated slats, one series carried by onepair of said chains and the other series bythe other pair of saidchains, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM COLLIER.

Witnesses:

MABEL M. MCG-ROBY, F. D. MERCHANT.

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